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Southern Phone review
Our verdict: Regardless of your connection type, Southern Phone has an internet plan for you – covering NBN, satellite, mobile broadband and home wireless, all with Australian support.
Highly commended: Best NBN Provider for Superfast Speeds
Southern Phone stood out for offering the maximum typical evening speed available on an NBN 250 plan. You also get the additional perk of being on a carbon neutral internet plan.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Southern Phone has been providing broadband connections – to regional Australia in particular – for a long time. It continues to do so after being bought out by AGL at the end of 2019.
Its NBN plans aren't anything too special – they cost about the same as other NBN plans on Finder, but their 12-month introductory discounts are a nice way to save if you're switching providers.
All of Southern Phone's internet plans are also carbon neutral at no extra cost to you.
Southern Phone internet is right for you if
You're looking to bundle NBN with mobile and home phone plans, and you would like some discounts.
You're interested in a carbon-neutral internet provider. All of Southern Phone's internet, home phone and mobile products are certified carbon neutral by Climate Active.
But keep in mind that
Southern Phone's mobile broadband plans require you to sign a 12-month contract. You can be charged anywhere between $25 to $275 for early termination, depending on the plan and the number of months left in the contract.
Southern Phone NBN plans cover all speed tiers upwards from NBN 25.
Prices are in line with the average cost of NBN plans on Finder, but the introductory discount does make it more attractive for the first 6 months.
You have the option of bringing your own modem or buying one for $156, which is just above the average modem price on Finder.
Southern Phone's satellite internet plans all come with unmetered and uncapped data during off-peak hours. This goes for almost all online activities except video streaming or any activities involving the use of a VPN.
All plans offer a maximum off-peak speed of 25Mbps, with the option to BYO modem or buy one from Southern Phone for $149.
Southern Phone's mobile broadband plans aren't the most competitive on the market.
The prices aren't the best for the amount of data included and you could find plans with more data for the same price from other providers.
Keep in mind: All of Southern Phone's mobile broadband plans require you to sign a 12-month contract, which isn't common as most plans come with no lock-in contracts these days. Early termination fees range from $25 to $275, depending on your plan and the number of months remaining in the contract.
Southern Phone offers one unlimited data home wireless plan priced at $50 a month for the first 6 months, then $60 per month.
Keep in mind: While this is a very attractive price, download speeds are capped at a maximum of 20Mbps.
This plan uses the Optus 4G mobile network so the availability and speed of the internet rely on it.
This plan can only be used with a modem supplied by Southern Phone. The modem will cost you $210. You can pay for it upfront in one go or in instalments over 24 months. If you leave before the 24-month contract ends, you'll need to pay $8.75 per month for every month left in the contract.
Performance
Southern Phone is not included in the ACCC Broadband Performance Report, so the reliability of its speeds cannot be officially verified.
Why does this report matter? The ACCC Report allows customers to see which NBN providers are delivering the speeds they've advertised, as a measure of reliability.
Based on its advertised typical evening speeds for NBN plans, you can expect to get the maximum speed only on its NBN 25 plan.
Good to know: Maximum speed is the fastest speed you can get on a speed tier. For example, NBN 100 plans will come with a maximum speed of 100Mbps.
Southern Phone runs its home wireless plans on the Optus 4G network and its mobile broadband plans on the Optus 3G/4G network, so speeds may vary depending on your location and signal strength.
Customer service
Live chat available
Australia-based customer support
You can get in touch with Southern Phone in the following ways:
Call the team from 8am–6pm AEST, Monday to Friday
Live chat with an associate on its website from 8am–8pm AEST on any day of the week
Good to know: Southern Phone's customer support team is based in Moruya, NSW.
Bonus features
Southern Phone's extra features centre around bundled discounts:
📱 Bundled NBN and mobile plans
You can bundle Southern Phone's NBN 25 with the 2GB Small SIM plan to save $15 a month for the first 6 months, or bundle NBN 50 with the 10GB Small Plus plan to save $17.50 a month for the first 6 months.
While it's a nice way to get a new NBN and mobile plan from one provider, there's actually no additional discount to these deals as you can get them for the same price separately without a bundle.
👵🏻 Special seniors NBN bundle
Seniors can purchase the NBN Seniors Triple Bundle, which combines NBN 25 with the 2GB Small SIM plan and a home phone plan. This bundle can save you $25 a month for the first 6 months.
Unlike the previous NBN and mobile bundle, this seniors offer is actually decent as it gives you a free home phone line for 6 months (originally $10 a month).
Which rivals are giving Southern Phone internet a run for its money?
For another carbon-neutral option:
Belong was the first carbon-neutral telco in Australia and offers similar plans to Southern Phone. Plan prices are slightly higher but the modem is almost half the price of Southern Phone's.
For a cheaper option:
SpinTel is a budget-friendly broadband provider with plans that are cheaper than Southern Phone's. SpinTel also offers an NBN 15 plan if you're looking for a lower speed tier.
For reliable speeds:
Most of Exetel's plan prices are comparable, if not cheaper, to Southern Phone's. One significant difference is that Exetel has topped ACCC's broadband performance report multiple times in the last 12 months.
Ready to sign up to Southern Phone?
Signing up to Southern Phone is fairly simple once you've worked out what plan is right for you.
Simply click the green "Go to site" button in our comparison table. All you'll need to do then is type in your address to check the plan availability in your area and sign up to the NBN plan of your choice.
What if I'm moving house? You can select a date during the sign-up process for when you'd like your new Southern Phone plan to be activated. Keep in mind that it could take up to 5 business days to get connected.
Make sure to give your current provider a heads-up in case there's a notice period to account for. You don't want to be stuck paying for 2 internet services.
We've researched and reviewed hundreds of internet plans to make our guides as helpful as possible. Our expertise is highlighted across numerous TV, print and digital media appearances.
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Since 2015, we've helped over 1 million Australians find the right broadband plan for their household. We explain plan features and prices simply to help you make your decision.
Saakshi Gupta is a writer for Finder. She has written for startups and other organisations. Her work has been published on Time Out Melbourne. Saakshi has a Master’s Degree in Media Communication from the University of Melbourne.
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I was offered a plan of $96 per month with unlimited texts on mobile and calls. I have just now received a monthly account for $176. Also I cannot connect the landline phone since receiving the new modum but have been charged for a long distance phone call. I have tried to contact Southern Phone without success.
Thanks for leaving a message on our page. Sorry to hear you haven’t had success contacting Southern. I’d be glad to check your July account for you however Finder doesn’t have this kind of access. It would be best to contact Southern Phone’s billing department directly to investigate the charges on your account. Also, since you are experiencing technical difficulties with your new modem, when you speak to Southern, request for a home service technician and inquire about the costs.
Sorry I couldn’t be of further help. Hope this helps and find a solution to this soon.
Unfortunately, All ADSL, ADSL2 and ADSL2+ internet services from all providers will be disconnected.
Moving to the nbn™ network is not automatic and the following services will be permanently disconnected if you do not arrange to move them to the nbn™ network before the advised date.
We suggest you prepare before calling your preferred provider so you can discuss all your requirements before ordering your services and booking an installation. Your service provider will be able to advise you, discuss the options and the range of competitive nbn™ plans that they have to offer. After notification that you can switch to the nbn™ network, you will have 18 months to move your services to the new network before the existing network is switched off. We will send you reminders, but we highly recommend switching well before your disconnection date as it may take time to process your order.
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I was offered a plan of $96 per month with unlimited texts on mobile and calls. I have just now received a monthly account for $176. Also I cannot connect the landline phone since receiving the new modum but have been charged for a long distance phone call. I have tried to contact Southern Phone without success.
Hi Betty,
Thanks for leaving a message on our page. Sorry to hear you haven’t had success contacting Southern. I’d be glad to check your July account for you however Finder doesn’t have this kind of access. It would be best to contact Southern Phone’s billing department directly to investigate the charges on your account. Also, since you are experiencing technical difficulties with your new modem, when you speak to Southern, request for a home service technician and inquire about the costs.
Sorry I couldn’t be of further help. Hope this helps and find a solution to this soon.
Cheers,
Nikki
do i have to change to nbn or can i stay with my adsl bundle including mobiles
Hi David,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Unfortunately, All ADSL, ADSL2 and ADSL2+ internet services from all providers will be disconnected.
Moving to the nbn™ network is not automatic and the following services will be permanently disconnected if you do not arrange to move them to the nbn™ network before the advised date.
We suggest you prepare before calling your preferred provider so you can discuss all your requirements before ordering your services and booking an installation. Your service provider will be able to advise you, discuss the options and the range of competitive nbn™ plans that they have to offer. After notification that you can switch to the nbn™ network, you will have 18 months to move your services to the new network before the existing network is switched off. We will send you reminders, but we highly recommend switching well before your disconnection date as it may take time to process your order.
Hope this information helped.
Cheers,
Arnold
Does Southern Phone have technicians come out to set up a service?
Hi Ronbee,
Thanks for your question.
Yes, Southern Phone have technicians who will set-up the services. However, please note that customers are required to pay a $59 setup fee.
Cheers,
Anndy